


Just What I Expected Of You

by SleepyHailey



Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: F/F, Post-Canon, Post-Season/Series Finale, Race, Weddings, Zine: Believing Hearts - A Diana x Akko Fanzine (Little Witch Academia)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-12 17:41:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28514370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SleepyHailey/pseuds/SleepyHailey
Summary: It's the morning before the wedding between Akko and Diana. While the venue is set, the guests are ready, and the brides are all done up in their best.But Akko has one last bit of unfinished business before the ceremony:She has to race Diana through a cursed forest.Created for the "Believing Hearts" Diakko Zine. https://believinghearts.bigcartel.com/
Relationships: Diana Cavendish/Atsuko "Akko" Kagari
Comments: 12
Kudos: 86





	Just What I Expected Of You

Diana had meant no harm. At the dinner last night; after the toasts were made and light conversation had broken out. It was silly, really. Lotte and Barbara had been excitedly comparing Akko and Diana’s romance to the rivals to lovers narrative in their beloved book series, Nightfall.

Akko had laughed, “Hey, if I marry my rival, does that mean I won or that we tied?”

Diana had held Akko’s hand and smiled at her warmly, “I never thought of you as my rival.”

Then Amanda, after what was obviously too many drinks, had clapped both of them on the back and shouted, “You have to be in the same league to be rivals. A pro can’t be the rival of a little leaguer.”

The table had laughed and Amanda had looked very proud of herself. Diana let out a small chuckle, just to be polite, really. But when Amanda stepped back, Diana saw that Akko was neither laughing or smiling.

Afterwards, Akko had briskly told Diana to go to bed without her. She said she had things to take care of before tomorrow. Despite that, Diana had stayed up for some time in case Akko came back. When Diana finally fell asleep, it was a restless sleep.

When Diana awoke the next morning, she found the other side of the bed undisturbed. On the pillow was a note from Akko, saying Diana should get ready and that she’d see her soon. After dressing in her dashing white tux and having her hair and makeup attended to by Anna, her caring head maid, there was a knock on the door. Diana had excitedly ran to the door, expecting to see Akko. Instead she was greeted by the dull expression of Sucy.

“Akko’s waiting for you, by the forest,” Sucy said without passion. She had handed Diana a map and shuffled away without another word.

A broom ride later, Diana found herself crossing a field to her bride-to-be. Her ponytail whipped in the wind and she ignored that her crisply pleated pants and mirror-shined shoes were getting staind with grass.

“Akko,” Diana called.

Akko, in her bridal gown with her hair up in a tight odango bun and expertly done makeup gave her an elegance that Diana did not associate with her fiance. Akko was squatting down, making her dress poof up around her waist. Her wand was out and glowing as she waved it around something hidden by the tall grass.

“Perfect timing,” Akko called out. “Just what I’d expect from Diana.” 

Akko stood up and stretched. She raised her arms high above her head and loudly cracked her back. Akko grabbed her waist and pivoted side to side in a light warmup exercise.

“What’s going on, Akko?” Diana asked breathlessly as she finished jogging near. “What’s all this about?”

Akko crossed her arms and let out a confident laugh, “Heh heh heh!”

She pointed her wand at what she had been working on.

“TIA FREYRE,” Akko shouted.

From the grass, two brooms bob up to waist height. Akko grabs the nearest broom and hoists herself up, sitting side saddle.

“This is a race,” Akko said with a proud smile.

Diana stared in disbelief, “Is this a joke?”

“This is _unfinished business_ ,” Akko said as she pointed her finger towards Diana’s face, poking her nose. Diana swatted Akko’s hand away.

“We never finished our race back in Luna Nova,” Akko said with a huff. “My pride won’t let this rivalry end without closure. That was our first direct competition and it got interrupted.”

Diana sighed, “Akko, this-”

“I know I can’t fly too high still, but I’ve gotten pretty fast,” Akko patted the broom she was sitting on. “These are specially enchanted, they’ll stay this high. We’re gonna go fast and low through the forest.”

Diana tried to interrupt but Akko ignored her. “Our course will take us through the forest, I asked Lotte and Sucy to plot it out for me so I wouldn’t have any unfair advantage. There’ll be glowy, sparkly checkpoints, you have to touch them to light up the next.”

Diana looked deeply troubled. “Akko, part of this forest is cursed. For a thousand years people have gone in, never to return.”

Akko snorted dismissively. “Are you saying I’m not a good enough witch to handle some spooky branches?”

Diana fumbled over her words, desperation creeping up her voice, “But we’re supposed to be married in a couple hours.”

“This won’t take too long,” Akko said, waving off the concern.

Floundering for a way to stop this madness, Diana pointed at Akko’s dress. “Your attire is hardly aerodynamic, you’ll be flying with a lot of increased drag.”

Akko pointed her thumb at herself and grinned, “That’s my way of giving you a handicap.”

Diana closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and took Akko’s hands in her own. “Will this satisfy you, win or lose?”

Akko’s face softened for a moment before hardening again, “Yes,” she answered firmly, fire in her eyes. “But I’m _going_ to win.”

Diana stepped forward and grabbed Akko by the wrist. She gave Akko a firm tug, hopped up, and planted a hasty kiss on Akko’s cheek.

“This isn’t how I expected today to go, but I shouldn’t have expected any less from my Akko,” Diana said with a warm smile. “Now may the best witch win.”

“Don’t think that’s gonna make me go easy on you,” Akko said, looking away and rubbing the tip of her nose, failing to hide her blush.

With acceptance giving way to a quiet giddiness, Diana hoisted herself on her already floating broom. She looked over to see Akko gripping on her broom, eyes fixed ahead at a glowing spot just inside the tree line. Diana followed suit and readied her mind and body, ready to give her all.

Akko flicked her glowing wand forward. In a shower of sparks, a shimmering image of Shiny Chariot in all her classic glory appeared. Diana gave Akko an amused look, Akko’s blush deepened. The image of Chariot reached behind her and produced a series of large cards, the first with the number three. Chariot let the card drop which vanished into whisps, beneath that was a card with a two. Akko and Diana both gripped their brooms tight and the card fell away. When the last card dropped, Chariot exploded in a miniature fireworks display and the brides-to-be launched forward.

Both witches sped towards the tree line at the end of the field, the first glowing check point beckoned. Diana knew Akko had been practicing flying, but she was still surprised that the two of them were matched in speed.

Terror gripped Diana’s heart as she drew close enough to clearly see the checkpoint. It was a mushroom.

“Akko,” Diana shouted to be heard over the rush of wind. “You had Sucy _and_ Lotte help set up the race, correct?”

“Well I asked Lotte,” Akko called back. “But she said it was a bad idea, so Sucy set up everything.”

“Akko I think this is a terrible idea,” Diana shouted with panic creeping into her voice.

Akko laughed as she pulled ahead. “You’re only saying that because you’re gonna _lose_ ,” Akko punctuated her brag by sticking out her tongue.

The forest whipped past in a green and brown blur as the witches rocketed through. The rocks and trees became regular obstacles that they weaved through and around. Sometimes the mushroom checkpoints were close by through the weaving trees and others were distant pricks of light. Their mushroom checkpoints had led them to crisscross a twisting river through the woods.

The witches were interchanging who was in the lead from turn to turn. They became so focused on keeping the other in sight that they didn’t notice as the river beneath had grown violently in its speed. They didn’t notice that the shores on either side had become more rocky. In fact, they barely noticed anything until the horizon did a sudden drop off just past the mushroom in the middle of the river.

“Sucy, you monster,” Diana whispered as she and Akko shot over the edge of the waterfall.

Dozens of meters below, a mushroom was visible on top of a tree just past the edges of the plunge basin. Due to the spell on the brooms they fell victim to gravity and the women plummeted. Willing their momentum to carry them past the water, both Akko and Diana slapped the checkpoint before crashing through the heavy branches of the tree canopy.

Branches cracked and twigs scratched as the two plummeted through the trees. Partially blinded by the leaves, Diana only caught glimpses of squirrels diving out of the way and the feathers of terrified birds. The animals that couldn’t move fast enough softly thumped against her face and chest and were knocked aside and left dazed.

When the brooms finally approached the ground, the spell did its job and they remained just aloft. Akko, who now had a bird’s nest adorning her head like a crown, wasted no time with shock and powered ahead of Diana. As Akko zoomed past, she flipped Diana the bird from the nest accidentally. Diana wildly grasped to catch the bird and tucked it into her lace cavat until it could be safely reunited with its home.

With a solid lead, Akko continued to the next checkpoint which led into the open mouth of a cave with Diana following behind. Bats screeched their displeasure at the intrusion and flapped past in a panic. Akko shouted with glee as she darted between stalactites and stalagmites. Deeper in the cave a guttural roar called back.

To Diana’s horror, a bear lumbered around the approaching corner. It had already reared to it’s full height at the sight of the intruders. The bear roared again as it stood between them and the exit of the cave. Despite the witches’ speed, the bear had time to raise it’s massive paw and deliver a powerful swipe towards Akko’s face.

Without hesitation, Akko twisted her broom to the side and rolled so that her body was parallel to the ground. The bear struck only air and Akko flew out of the cave and back into the forest. Diana’s mouth went slack in fear, astonishment, admiration, and perhaps a little bit of increased enamour.

Though Akko’s drifting maneuver had saved her life, it had cost her speed. Diana was able to catch up and even pull ahead, but the grouping of trees that each had checkpoints slowed her down so that her lead was short lived and Akko was again by her side.

Twisting through the dense clusters of trees, the next checkpoint came clearly into view. There were two large and dense bramble bushes. Their thorny branches packed so tight, it was difficult to guess how deep the bushes extended. And there, in a narrow passage between the bushes was the checkpoint mushroom.

The witches slammed into each other. They were pressed so tightly together that they had become cheek to cheek. Akko’s smile was one of heated determination, Diana answered back with a confident grin. As they flew closer and closer, worry crept into Diana’s face, only one of them would be able to fit safely.

Diana’s blue eyes turned icy and, with Akko still pushing hard against her side, Diana did a full and sudden stop. Akko hurtled sideways and Diana launched forward through the gap in the bushes. Diana knew Akko would have no choice but to loop around to make another approach. She tapped the mushroom as she flew past. The passage was so narrow that Diana’s sleeve caught on the thorns and part of it was torn away.

Diana pushed away the guilt she felt at taking the lead. She knew Akko wanted a real race and Diana would give her that. Still she worried that defeat would hurt Akko.

Diana’s fear was laid to rest an instant later. Akko burst through the bramble bushes, spitting out thorns. There were sticks in her hair, her veil and dress had been shredded in places, deep scratches were on her arms and face, but the fire had not gone out in her eyes.

With Diana in shock, Akko whipped past her. “Death or glory,” Akko shouted with a fist raised in the air.

Past the brambles, the forest had grown dark. The trees twisted in unnatural shapes and swayed as though in heavy wind. Trunks shifted and deep cracks opened in the bark into hateful smiles as the branches clenched like balled fists.They had entered the cursed woods.

Branches swung and rocks were flung. The trees cackled with a nightmarish laugh. Amongst the dead and rotting leaves and gnarled roots, skulls and other bones could be spotted peeking out from the ground as if they were drowning in the dirt.

“Akko, we need to turn back,” Diana shouted frantically as she dodged a thorny wooden hand.

“Never,” Akko defiantly called back. With her wand outstretched, she obliterated a rock larger than her head just before it crushed her.

“Akko this has gone too far, you’re going to be killed,” Diana did not hide the desperation in her voice.

“No,” Akko screamed back. She turned towards Diana with tears streaming down her face. “I’m finishing this Diana! I’m going to show you and everyone that I’m good enough for you!”

Akko’s words hit Diana like a slap in the face and she lost focus on her speed as Akko drifted away.

Ahead of them, through the wall of roaring, unnatural trees, a horror came into view. It was a tree unlike the others, it was massive, easily as big around as a small cabin. It’s face was defined and cruel with deep hollow pits for eyes and a mouth full of ragged wooden teeth stretched clear across the sides and deep into its core. The dozens of cruelly sharp branches coalesced into deadly masses of wooden spikes that curled back like vipers about to strike.

Diana put everything she had into a burst of speed to get alongside Akko. With barely a moment to spare before they’d both be impaled by the deadly spear-like branches, Diana lept from her broom. Arms open wide, she tackled Akko from her broom.

Before they hit the ground, Diana smoothly pulled out her wand and cast a spell on both riderless brooms. The brooms burst into enchanted flame, becoming flaming projectiles headed straight into the wooden maw of the cursed tree. The monster tree’s hollow eyes only had a moment to go wide before it exploded into fiery debris.

Diana had rolled when she hit the ground, clutching Akko tightly. She quickly brushed the fallen hair out of her face as she checked Akko for any obvious wounds and asked if she was hurt. To Diana’s great relief, Akko was dazed and roughed up, but not seriously hurt.

Akko started to speak, but her attention was pulled away. All around the pair, the twisted and gnarled trees shifted with loud, wooden popping sounds as they took on a more natural shape. A healthy color returned to the tree bark and bright green leaves sprouted all over the branches. Diana and Akko smiled warmly at each other, lost in the enchantment of the moment. But the moment didn’t last and Akko’s smile sank into frown as she looked away from Diana.

“So not only do you keep me from finishing my race,” Akko said bitterly. “You decided to end a thousand year curse, just like that. Just what I’d expect from Diana.”

At that moment, Diana’s calm shattered. She released Akko and stomped away. Her breath had become shallow and rapid. When Diana turned back around, her face was contorted, not in anger as Akko had expected, but with an expression that could only be called heartbroken.

“How can you say that to me, Akko?” Diana’s voice had become pleading.

Akko was bewildered as she spoke “But everyone says-”

“I lost my magic,” Diana interrupted angrily. “I had to work _so hard_ to get it back. I didn’t have friends or hobbies, all I did was try to get back what was taken from me. And it worked and then some. I ended up mastering things no witch had in generations. Now _no one_ cares!

“I could do the most amazing magic possible and all I would ever hear is ‘Just what I’d expect from you’.” Diana was pacing now and gesturing wildly. “It’s not that I ever wanted praise. It was just the perfect encouragement for what magic had come to mean to me; _nothing!_ Magic was _a thing_ I did because I was _supposed to!_ ”

“Diana,” Akko stared in shock.

Diana stopped pacing and looked at Akko with her eyes glistening with tears. “Then you came along, Akko. You were overflowing in the childish joy for magic that I’d lost. I couldn’t help resenting you for it. You didn’t have the experience or practice, but you ran headfirst into everything regardless of how foolish you looked. I thought it was just a matter of time before you gave up, but you didn’t. You didn’t become more studious either, you just kept going your own way.”

“Akko, when people see me do magic, they see a demonstration. I followed the instructions and gave them exactly what they expected to see. But you Akko, you made them feel something, even if it was just amusement, you made them feel something about magic. You made _me_ feel something about magic.”

“My resentment turned to admiration so quickly and quietly that I didn’t notice. When you were disregarded or insulted, it suddenly hurt. Then that feeling grew so strong that I felt I needed to be there to protect you, to help you. I couldn’t stand the idea of you being hurt. Seeing you hurting now. Hearing you say that you're not good enough. And you feel that way because of me, I can’t take it, Akko, I-”

Diana fell to the ground with tears streaming down her face, sobbing loudly. Diana felt the slender arms of Akko grip her tightly and she felt Akko’s own tears fall on her. Diana grabbed onto Akko and they both held each other as they cried. After a few minutes, Akko released Diana and slid back to face her, holding both her hands.

“Diana,” Akko smiled with tears still steadily flowing, “I’m so sorry about all this. I was just so scared.”

“Of what?” Diana asked.

After some mumbling and uncomfortable shifting Akko blurted out, “I was scared you didn’t really like me!”

Diana stared at Akko, blinking. Diana then burst out laughing. Diana fell to her back clutching her stomach. Akko looked on, pouting. Slowly Diana sat back up and wiped the tears from her eyes with the palms of her hands, they came back covered in cried off makeup.

“Akko, I’m marrying you,” Diana managed to get out as her laughter calmed.

“You could have just been being polite,” Akko said, gesturing wildly. “It’s just, I’m such a goof and you’re just so great. I thought I must have tricked you or something and that you’d eventually figure me out or something.”

Diana rolled her eyes and gave Akko a quick kiss on the forehead. “I love that you’re a goof,” Diana said with a smile.

Akko looked down and away, as she spoke. “I guess yesterday when you said you never saw me as a rival, it made me feel like I was beneath you.”

Pressing her hand against Akko’s face, Diana spoke softly, “Akko, we’re not mindlessly competing against each other, we never were. We both approached magic far too differently for that. By the end we were supporting each other and helping each other to improve in our own styles. You’re not my rival Atsuko, you’re my partner.”

Tears sprung anew for both of them as the pair of lovers fell to the grass together. They laughed, they kissed, and they cried. With their energies spent, they lay quietly and held each other with a renewed appreciation and understanding.

“I have no idea where we are,” Akko said finally. “I think we’re gonna be late for the wedding.”

“It’s not like they can start without us,” Diana said matter-of-factly.

The pair broke into another round of giggles which gave way to more intense kisses and they were indeed quite late for their own wedding.

)*()*()*()*()*()*(

When Diana and Akko finally approached the wooded clearing where their ceremony was to be held, they were quickly intercepted by Diana’s head maid Anna. She insisted that they delay the wedding a bit longer so she could clean them up, but they politely waved her off.

“I have waited my entire life to marry Atsuko Kagari,” Diana said gently, prompting Akko to squeeze her hand. “I can’t wait a moment longer.”

“Then I won’t delay you further,” Anna said with tears in her eyes.

The venue was encircled by trees that had magical fairy lights softly twinkling in their branches. There were larger gaps between the trees where the guests had entered and a smaller gap at the back where the couple was meant to enter with a trail leading to the flower covered arch, The assembled guests were milling around their seats talking with one another. Their annoyance at their wait had long since abated as the formal ceremony had gone into very casual conversation.

At Anna’s signal, the pianist began the wedding march. The startled guests hurried to their seats and their eyes locked to the back entrance, eagerly awaiting the couple. When Diana and Akko entered the clearing, the crowd gaped at the state of them. Some, especially on Diana’s side, murmured disdain at the impropriety of their appearance. Those that really knew them merely chuckled.

“Just what I’d expect from Akko,” Amanda said with a laugh.

The brides-to-be clothes were torn and filthy and their faces were splotched with dirt and grass. Their makeup was smeared and their hair was ratty and full of sticks. Akko still had the bird’s nest on her head and the displaced bird peeked out from Diana’s cavat. In spite of all this, they’d never looked happier. They held each other’s hands tightly as they walked to the arch ahead. 

As the ceremony proceeded, the guest stirred in their seats. Diana’s aunt Daryl let out a chuckle that slipped into a quiet sigh of approval, though of course, she would never voice this approval. The Cavendish castle staff looked upon Diana with great joy to see their charge so content. Hanah and Barbara held each other as they struggled to contain themselves. Chariot Du Nord, idol to both of them, looked at the couple with overwhelming pride. Pressed against Chariot’s cheek was a floating roomba projecting the face of Croix that looked at the couple in adoration . Constanz’s lip quivered and Janinka put an arm around her shoulder. Amanda pretended not to cry and waved away Constanz’s Stanbot that kept offering her tissues. Lotte’s attention was divided from the couple by Sucy, who loudly bawled into Lotte’s chest.

But all these sounds barely reached Akko and Diana, all they could hear was each other’s breathing. The bright decorations of the venue and the fancy attire of their friends and family are unnoticed, all they see is one another. As they looked into each other's eyes they saw the past; them holding each other after the race, Diana encouraging Akko to write a cartoon pitch based on her Chariot fanfiction, Akko encouraging Diana to pursue magical medicine, graduating from Luna Nova, their awkward courtship, their first kiss, their confessions of love, Diana helping Akko through a particularly upsetting day at school involving snacks and a fish, both of them using the triskelion to replenish magic back through the world, their bickering throughout their first year, their first meeting, and all their lives before in which they were waiting, unknowingly, to meet. With the final words of the ceremony spoken, they kissed. In many ways, it was like any other kiss between them. But when Diana and Akko open their eyes, they both see their future smiling back at them.

**Author's Note:**

> My collaborator made the beautiful piece of art!  
> https://twitter.com/CandybaGart/status/1346225793744003074


End file.
